Denny Hamlin is back on top in this week’s Power Rankings following the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.
1. Denny Hamlin:
Hamlin had the car, but not the pit stops, to win at Richmond, and settled for 10th in the Cook Out 400.
“We were in line to challenge for the win,” Hamlin said, “but I got a speeding penalty leaving the pits after a slow stop when the jack was dropped. Then, we had trouble with a tire on a subsequent pit stop. My pit team let me down. As you might also get at Sports Clips, I might be demanding a ‘crew cut’ to hold certain pit members accountable.”
2. Ryan Blaney:
Blaney finished third in the Cook Out 400 at Richmond.
“There were a lot of drivers looking for a win to get into the playoffs,” Blaney said. “And the anxiety was high with the regular season nearly over and the temperature pretty warm. On the track, things reeked of desperation. In the stands, things just reeked.”
3. Alex Bowman:
Bowman took second in the Cook Out 400 and solidified his playoff standing.
“About a year ago at this very race track,” Bowman said, “Austin Dillon plowed through Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. Austin often gets a pass because he’s the grandson of Richard Childress, but let’s face it, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, because Austin’s also a ‘Dick.'”
4. Austin Dillon:
Dillon drove his way into the playoffs by winning the Cook Out 400 at Richmond.
“It’s very satisfying to win a race to put yourself in the playoffs,” Dillon said. “And doing it without putting two cars into the wall makes it doubly satisfying.”
5. William Byron:
Byron finished 12th at Richmond.
“Once again,” Byron said, “my No. 24 featured Liberty University sponsorship. It seems like they’re on my car a lot. It’s like I’m Jerry Falwell, Jr., because I can’t escape the connection to Liberty U.”
6. Shane van Gisbergen:
Van Gisbergen finished 14th in the Cook Out 400.
“I’m still navigating my way to mastering oval track racing,” van Gisbergen said. “My learning curve may not be steep, but it is often banked.”
7. Joey Logano:
Logano finished third at Richmond, posting his third top 10 of the season.
“I crashed in practice,” Logano said, “so I had to start from the back. So, much like my night last year at Richmond with Austin Dillon, I got ‘rear-ended.'”
8. Christopher Bell:
Bell came home 21st at Richmond.
“Ryan Preece put his No. 60 RFK Ford on the pole,” Bell said. “That car was really fast. And since it has Kleenex sponsorship, you would call that car a ‘snot rocket.'”
9. Chase Elliott:
Elliott was knocked out of the race as collateral damage in a lap 199 accident that affected 12 cars. Elliott finished 38th and suffered his first DNF of the season.
“It looks like Kyle Busch triggered that pile-up,” Elliott said. “Then Kyle wrecked me and sent me into the wall. It’s certainly not the first time Kyle has had two major traffic incidents in a short period of time.”
10. Kyle Larson:
Larson finished sixth in the Cook Out 400.
“I didn’t have a car good enough to win,” Larson said, “so I just had to concentrate on squeezing out the best possible finish. Sometimes, you’ve just got to put your head down and shut your mouth. And I’ve been advised to do that on many occasions.”
Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
